I didn’t take a zillion pics of Stumbling Santa last night as I had planned… it was so crowded that I just decided to stake a spot where there was breathing room wherever I could find it. I did get some pics though. Here are a few of the best ones.
First stop was the Saucer, which quickly filled up with Santas. The Saucer was also the drop-off point for toy donations for Ronald McDonald House. I saw bags and bags of toys being loaded into a van about 8 PM – great job everyone. People found out that the Saucer was matching donations toy for toy, and many people brought more than one.
The Garden/patio area of the Saucer, where a silent auction took place.
BB King’s. BB’s was WAY crowded full of tourists even before we got there. Shawn, Joe, Zane, Steve G and I found a spot on the stage and hardly moved for the next 45 minutes. This pic was taken about 20 minutes after I got there. Note that there are still a long line of Santas outside waiting to get in.
By 9:15 BB’s was so crowded that we couldn’t take it anymore, and went outside. Stevie G and Joe helped keep BB’s outdoor bartender warm.
Next up was Alfred’s, where I forgot altogether to take pics. That was probably because the Texas vs. Nebraska game was on. Everyone except Chad HATED Texas and were cheering for the Huskers. At the end of the day though Chad was the one who went home happy.
Alfred’s went all out for the Santas, opening the outdoor bar to ensure quick service. Great job.
Next up was the FedExForum. Here’s a pic of me with all the other Santas in the background. Unlike the other stops, there was plenty of breathing room. I complained about the beer prices at first ($8.25 for a 24 ounce domestic), but my friend Mikey pointed out, “Look, they opened their doors just for us, because they wanted to support the Ronald McDonald house. How cool is that? They deserve our support in return.” I decided he was right and bought a beer.
Going…
going…
… gone.
The final stop was Club 152, but there were at least 70 people in line by the time we got there, so we decided to end the night back where we started, at the Saucer, which by that point was packed even without the Santas.
My huge compliments to the organizers and to the participating bars on a fantastic event. It’s near impossible to herd that many people from place to place, but they did it very well. They announced that the pics they took will be up soon. I’ll link to the site once the pics are posted.